District of Columbia · SOC 17-2141
Mechanical Engineer Salary in District of Columbia
VerifiedPublished wages for mechanical engineers in District of Columbia, straight from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release — the full percentile distribution, employment concentration, and metro detail.
Mechanical Engineers in District of Columbia earn a median of $130,000 per year ($136,300 mean), per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $105,680–$166,110; the top 10% earn $191,880. That is 27% above the national median of $102,320, ranking District of Columbia #2 of 51 states that publish this occupation.
Median wage
Verified$130,000
+27% vs national
Top 10% earn
$191,880
90th percentile
Employed in state
590
Reliability Moderate (17.4% RSE)
Mechanical Engineer pay distribution — District of Columbia vs national
Every figure below is a published BLS percentile. Bars share one scale, so the two distributions compare directly.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $82,760 | +20% |
| 25th percentile | $105,680 | +29% |
| Median50th percentile | $130,000 | +27% |
| 75th percentile | $166,110 | +27% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $191,880 | +19% |
| Meanaverage | $136,300 | +24% |
Where mechanical engineers earn most in District of Columbia
Metro areas in District of Columbia where BLS publishes a wage for SOC 17-2141. Metros BLS withholds are not listed.
| Metro area | Median | Top 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, D.C.Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $121,060 | $181,540 | 5,080 |
District of Columbia engineering labor market
Concentration and pay level across all engineering occupations BLS publishes for this state.
Location quotient
0.45
Jobs per 1,000
0.83
State rank (pay)
#2 of 51
All engineering roles
$138,532
A location quotient of 0.45 means mechanical engineers are less concentrated here than the national average, so openings are thinner even where pay is competitive.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a mechanical engineer make in District of Columbia?
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2141 (Mechanical Engineers), District of Columbia (state).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →